The New Forest
by MethLabrador
Summary: Series of fluffy/emotional moments set after the end of Ghost Hunter. Features Torak and Renn, the supporting characters and all the joys and challenges of their new life together. M for some chapters not all. Please review!
1. Gold

**This is set immediately after the end of Ghost Hunter. Enjoy!**

Torak couldn't keep the grin off his face as Renn grabbed his hand, dragging him along the muddy path with a breathless excitement.

'Come on!'

'We've got all the time in the world,' he laughed, watching her. 'The new forest isn't going anywhere.'

Wolf and Darkfur trotted happily along beside them, while Pebble raced joyously about Renn's feet, as excited as she was at going on a new journey. Rip and Rek flew above them, swirling around the treetops and cawing in delight.

As they broke into a run through the trees, hand-in-hand in youthful delight, Torak was reminded of his dream with Wolf and Fa in the shallows of a river, where his world-soul soared in perfect harmony with every living thing. As they slowed, he scooped her up sideways in his arms and spun her around, she let out a squeal of delight in his ear. Her hair streamed like a river around them. She gripped his neck tightly, as if scarcely believing the joy she was feeling. That he was here, and she was free to be with him.

He slowed his spinning and instead stood in the golden glade of trees, with Renn in his arms. She lifted a hand from his neck and cupped his cheek tenderly, beaming at him.

'This doesn't feel real.' She whispered, her smile never faltering. Torak drew her closer, relishing the physical feel of her weight in his arms. This was real. He could scarcely believe it either.

'It is,' he whispered back, moving his lips closer to hers.

'Prove it.'

He kissed her, and she kissed him back.


	2. Mates

0o0o0o0

Renn lay lazily on her side, her head propped up by her hand. She absently drew patterns on the floor with her other hand, occasionally looking up to watch Torak down by the stream, some twenty paces away.

She was minding the cooking skin, which was filled with stew, bubbling away nicely over the fire, filling the spacious shelter with tantalising smells of horsehoof mushrooms and willow grouse meat. She sat up a little and gave it a stir, before laying back down. She far enjoyed watching Torak than minding the stew.

Shirtless and knee-deep in the shallows, he waded around to check the fish hooks.

It had been four moons since they had left the Ravens, since then they had made it safely to the new forest. From what they had explored so far, it was beautiful and vast, with plentiful prey and resources. Wolf and Darkfur had made a cosy den not far from their camp, and Rip and Rek stayed close to them in the surrounding forest. Since Renn was used to staying in a camp for months and Torak only a few days, they had reached a compromise which consisted of staying in their shelter for half a moon before moving somewhere new.

Spring had arrived with them, bringing blossoms of flowers and birdsong melodies that didn't cease day and night. The air was warm, and golden pollen floated through the wide door of the shelter as spring turned to early summer.

Renn breathed it in, it was all perfect.

Torak felt her gaze and turned around, standing at full height. He gave a little wave with a handful of fish. She waved back, admiring his muscular figure. It was strange to think that Torak was now a young man, and she, a young woman. She had no doubt in her mind that she wanted him to be his mate. She was just waiting for him to ask her.

Then they would have to travel back to the Ravens for the joining ceremony, and she would see Fin-Kedinn again, and Dark. There would be celebrations all night long, and finally they could-

'Renn, could you move over a bit?'

She snapped out of her thoughts, flushing at the direction they had taken. Sitting up, and tucking her hair behind her ear, she shuffled along to allow Torak room by the fire.

'What were you thinking about?' he asked as he wrapped the fish in leaves to be roasted.

She stirred the stew and decided to voice her thoughts, 'when you're going to ask me.'

Catching onto her meaning immediately, he finished wrapping the fish and wiped his hands on his leggings. 'I was planning for the perfect moment.'

She smiled, bemused, 'how about right now?'

'Right now?' he was puzzled. He remembered Fa telling him that he had waited until the perfect moment to ask his mother to be his mate. He'd woken her before dawn and taken her to the top of a great hill, and as the sun rose he gave his lover her favourite flowers from the forest, and asked her then.

Sitting in a grubby shelter nestled amongst their old clothes to be washed, piles of tools and smelly fish didn't seem worthy enough of the moment. He voiced this to Renn, who shook her head with a knowing laugh.

'Well can you "plan your perfect moment" soon?' she asked, setting aside the spoon for stirring the soup and looking into his eyes properly. 'I'd like to, well . . . you know, it's been about four moons since. . .'

'What?' His obliviousness sometimes irritated her, and she wasn't sure if he was doing it deliberately to make her confess to embarrassing things or not.

'Well. . .' she thought the best way to explain with men was to demonstrate. With a little flicker of excitement, she moved towards Torak until she was straddling his lap, then she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He wrapped his arms tightly around her petite form, and she melted into his embrace, dragging her hands across his muscular torso with a deliberate intent.

After a while, they were breathless and burning for more, but this was the very point she was trying to tell him.

'Torak' she breathed in his ear as he ran his hands through her hair, down to her hips. 'I don't want to do any more than this until we're mates, even though I want to. It's clan law.' She leaned back and looked into his dilated pupils, she saw he understood.

With a gentle kiss, she removed herself from his lap and went back to stirring the stew as if nothing had happened. With a hint of satisfaction she was glad of being a woman at this point. Torak must be feeling pretty uncomfortable after that. Renn knew that now he would be hurrying to ask her.

'Y-Yeah.' Torak agreed. She looked over at his flushed complexion. He swallowed, hard.

'So, are you going to ask me now?' she raised an eyebrow.

'Tonight.'

And with that, he staggered out of the shelter and into the forest. Renn wondered what on earth he was planning to do.

0o0o0o0

Dusk was falling as Torak finished his search for flowers in the forest. He wasn't sure of Renn's favourite, so he had made a selection. Traipsing back to the shelter through the bracken, he held a large handful of bluebells, purple orchids, wild honeysuckle and butterfly orchids. In his other hand he held a necklace of shells he'd been making for the past few moons to give to Renn on this night.

He felt excited but also apprehensive as he neared their shelter. He wanted nothing more than for Renn to be his mate forever, but he was also very new to all these things. He'd never gathered flowers for anyone in his life. Renn had grown up in a clan where she knew all the rituals between men and women, and what they should do for eachother. He was clueless.

Renn was sitting on the grass outside, sewing a hole in his jerkin and humming to herself. As he arrived, she looked up and immediately noticed the gifts he had brought her. Smiling, she set down her things and stood.

'Renn, just so you know I don't know what I'm meant to do.'

'Get on one knee.' She instructed, barely hiding her laughter.

'Like this?' he knelt before her.

She nodded, the light breeze blowing her hair behind her. The sun was setting to the west, illuminating them in soft orange light. He cleared his throat. The moment felt right. This was it.

'Renn, I bring you these gifts to show my affection for you.' He handed her the flowers and the delicate necklace, both of which she accepted with grace, as she'd seen women in her clan do. She didn't want to laugh at Torak's sudden uncharacteristic chivalry, but she couldn't stop smiling.

'Thank you. Now you hold out your hand.'

He stretched out his arm in front of him with his palm upturned. 'Renn, will you do me the honour of becoming my mate?'

A beam broke out across her face, like a reflection in the water, Torak did the same. She placed her pale hand in his. 'Yes, I will. I love you Torak.'

'I love you Renn.'

With that he stood and she threw herself at him, almost knocking the young man off his feet. The flowers and necklace were momentarily forgotten as they embraced and kissed in delirious happiness.

After a delicious stew nightmeal, they sat outside and watched the stars. Torak wrapped his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder, as they had done many times in the past. They could hear Wolf, Darkfur and Pebble howling together in the next valley. Torak told her that they had made a hunt and were celebrating by singing together.

'You know how we could celebrate?' he asked, giving her a knowing look.

'You know we need to do the joining ceremony with the Ravens before that,' she playfully slapped his leg.

'Then let's leave tomorrow. We owe them all a visit anyway.'

She looked up at him and placed a delicate kiss on his jaw. 'Yes, we'll leave tomorrow.'

0o0o0o0


	3. I do

**I have absolutely no idea about Neolithic marriages so this is all made up, but maybe some elements of this were real back then.  
I hope you enjoy this! The after party will be in the next chapter.**

0o0o0o0

Torak stood in his joining ceremony clothes, feeling a little nervous a week after arriving at the Raven camp. He wore a neat, tight-fitting suit of buckskin bleached pale with grey fur boots and a thick Lynx-fur cape that had been used in Raven joining ceremonies as far back as anyone could remember. Necklaces of shells, flowers and decorated pebbles hung at his neck. His messy hair had been combed and pinned back so that his wife could see his face, though a few rebel strands broke free. Earthblood had been circled around his heart and smeared on his cheeks and lips.

He was in a small shelter, attended to by a man named Agluff who was peering through the flaps, waiting for the signal to bring Torak out for the start of the ceremony.

He hadn't been allowed to see Renn all day, no doubt she had been transformed in a tent similar to his own. It was about midday, as the celebrations were expected to continue long into the night. Once the ceremony was over, they would officially be mates in the eyes of the clans and the World Spirit. It was a sacred bond.

He could hear a loud buzz of conversation from outside the tent in the clearing. His nervousness grew despite himself as he knew it was not only the Raven clan who were waiting, but many other clans. Fin-Kedinn had sent word of their joining ceremony out into the forest the day they'd arrived, and it had attracted far more people than he had expected.

From Agluff he'd heard that members of the Boar, Red Deer, Swan, Mountain Hare, Seal, White Fox and Wolf Clans had showed up. He was even more surprised to hear that others from clans he'd never expected to come had chosen to join, such as Ptarmigan, Sea Eagle, Willow, Salmon, Auroch, Rowan, Otters and Lynx. Apparently, it was to be as large as a Clan Meet.

Fin-Kedinn told him that many were coming not for the wedding specifically but to pay him and Renn their respects for destroying the Soul Eaters once and for all. Agluff added that many of the clans needed an excuse for a big party now that the forest was back to normal.

Wolf and his family were somewhere nearby, having accompanied them back. He doubted they would want to go near so many taillesses, he and Renn had decided that they would go and celebrate with them tomorrow after this was all finished.

He hoped that Renn was prepared for all this.

Agluff nodded to an unseen person outside the tent and motioned for Torak to follow him. Taking a deep breath, he followed the man out of the shelter.

He was met with a sea of sitting people, all with different tattoos, hair and clothing. All staring at him like he'd grown another head. For a moment Torak stopped walking, he had never seen so many people. Not even at the Clan Meets he had been to as a child, or that he had seen as an outcast. Torak reminded himself that he had faced the Soul Eaters and won, he would not be frightened by being in front of all these people.

Agluff cleared his throat and Torak quickly followed after him, keeping his eyes up ahead to where a makeshift altar had been made from logs and stone. Fin-Kedinn had run through the procedures and it seemed pretty simple. However he would feel stupid making a mistake with so many people watching.

Dark and Fin-Kedinn stood behind the Altar. Agluff motioned for Torak to stand before them and he did so. Now to wait for Renn.

He heard footsteps and yearned to turn around to see her, but he had been told he had to wait until she was standing next to him, then they would face each other. Eventually, she appeared beside him, and they turned to face each other.

Torak's heart skipped a beat when he saw how breath-takingly beautiful she looked. She was wearing a bleached, tight-fitting buckskin similar to his but as a tunic that went to her just above her knees, it followed the curves of her body deliciously, Torak found it hard to look away. She wore grey fur boots that matched his, and on her shoulders a smaller old-looking Lynx cape hung. Her long red hair had been entwined with forest flowers and pulled up into long ponytail which spilled down her back in a cascade of red. Earthblood had been rubbed into her cheeks and delicately painted onto her full lips.

He had never seen her look more womanly, nor so beautiful. She was still his Renn, but she looked so different. He held her eyes and gave a reassuring smile. She beamed in response.

The ceremony began with Torak and Renn holding hands, and Dark chanting a bondind rite. They were made to repeat lines and follow the instructions. Dark took a lock of each of their hair and wound them together, then buried them in the ground.

After the Magecraft rites were over, Fin-Kedinn took his place between them as Clan leader. He placed one hand on Torak's shoulder as Renn crouched on one knee before Torak.

'Do you promise to protect my niece from harm?' He asked him as he began the ancient vows, loud enough for the crowd to hear. His voice was rich and strong, and Torak realised in that moment how much he would miss him once Renn and he were more permanently in the new forest.

'I do.' He locked eyes with Renn as he had been told to do previously through the vows.

'Do you promise to be faithful?'

'I do.'

'Do you promise to fulfil your duty as a father to her children?'

'I do.' Torak swallowed hard, that part seemed so far away.

'Do you promise to respect and honour her, in youth and in age?'

'I do.'

'And unto all of these, do you promise on your three souls?'

'I promise on my three souls to protect, to be faithful, to father and to respect and honour my mate, Renn of the Raven Clan.'

Torak's part was over, and now Renn stood and he kneeled before her as she gazed down on him. The traditional vows altered slightly for men and women, but they were mostly the same. Fin-Kedinn placed a weathered hand on Renn's smooth shoulder.

'Do you promise to serve my foster son?'

'I do.' Her voice was a little shaky, but firm. Torak thought Renn vowing to be a dutiful woman was a little funny, especially how outraged she'd been at hearing from Bale that women stayed at home whilst men went out to hunt.

'Do you promise to be faithful?'

'I do.'

'Do you promise to fulfil your duty as a mother to his children?'

'I do.'

'Do you promise to respect and honour him, in youth and in age?'

'I do.'

'And unto all of these, do you promise on your three souls?'

'I promise on my three souls to serve, to be faithful, to mother and to respect and honour my mate, Torak of the Forest.'

At this, Torak was allowed to stand back up, the two of them exchanged shaky smiles. The ceremony was almost over. Fin-Kedinn took their hands and lifted them up so the clans could see.

'I, Fin-Kedinn of the Raven Clan, and Dark, Mage of the Raven Clan, proclaim Torak of the forest and Renn of the Raven Clan are officially mated.' He joined their hands together as the crowd erupted into cheers and claps.

Torak held her hand high, proud to be mated to someone so strong and beautiful. Then they lowered their hands and exchanged a small kiss to seal the bond. Renn blushed, knowing her uncle must have seen, but he just chuckled along with Dark from their position behind them.

Elated beyond belief, they stood together to the cheers of the clans, as mates for life.


	4. Party

**Again I'm not sure what parties were like back then but I think this is probably pretty accurate. Enjoy :) The rating will go up in the next chapter!**

0o0o0o0

After the ceremony ended, it was all a blur. Hundreds of people were offering congratulations and shaking their hands, giving gifts for the joining and also for saving the forest. Holding hands, they were introduced to more people that they could count or remember. Old people, young people, children, everyone. Before they knew it, the sun had set below the horizon.

'Time for the party of your life.' Renn said in his ear as a large man carried a barrel full of fermented fruit beer past him. He looked at her quizzically and she replied with sharp-toothed grin.

The amount of food was staggering. Over four hundred people were present, and all of them had brought nightmeal. Piles of meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, cakes, berries, pots of honey and innumerable combinations of meals were laid out and divided between the merry people. Barrels of beer, juices and teas were assembled.

The noise was deafening. Music played from bone pipes, drums from animal skins and shell and bead shakers, while people sung along out of key and out of sync, clapping their hands and stamping their feet. People talking, laughing, shouting, telling stories, children fighting and babies crying, it was a spectacle unlike anything Torak had observed. Dogs ran in-between people's legs and the smoke from many crackling log fires wafted into the night air.

Torak and Renn got a seat near the biggest fire, where the mages and leaders were sitting and getting themselves drunk. One of them was telling a hunting story and those around him were listening wide-eyed, eating their food and laughing at his tall tales. Faces were red with drink and merriment, warm from the fires and food.

Torak had never been drunk before, but after his fourth cup of fruit beer he was feeling more than a little dizzy. He went off to get some more reindeer meat for Renn but fell over onto a lady's lap half way there. He apologised to her and staggered off to the food, embarrassingly aware of his mate's laughter behind him.

'This is mad.' Torak said to her in amazement some time later, with the party still in full swing. They were listening to the fast-paced music and watching the men and women dance with children running about their legs.

'I know, I've never seen everyone so happy.' Renn laughed as she watched an old man move like a man of fifteen summers. She knew they were both a little light-headed from drink, but she had always wanted to see Torak dance. She took his hand with a playful look and led him into the crowd of dancing people. Giddy from drink, she began dancing to the drums, stamping her feet and swaying her hips as the rhythm took over her body.

Torak swayed on the spot, watching her dance with fascination. The wild shaking of her hips and the sensuous way she moved her arms made him transfixed, unable to look away. There was something about the way she was moving that sent ripples of heat through him like a river. It must be the drink, he thought.

'Come on, feel the rhythm Torak!' she laughed, pulling him closer to her. 'On every beat move your hips like this!'

Soon they were entwined in each other, the music coursing through them as their bodies moved in sync. Torak held her close and planted another delicate kiss on her lips. She flushed a little, moving her hands from his shoulders down to his hands. She couldn't hear herself think with the noise, so she led him away to the edge of camp where the noise was at a bearable level. The music could still be heard, as more and more people had begun dancing.

'You know you were talking about celebrating?' she asked with a knowing look, her pale skin white in the moonlight, and the earthblood red on her lips and cheeks. 'Why don't we do that now? They prepared a shelter just for us...'

He grinned, getting at her meaning immediately this time. He gathered her in his arms and kissed her thoroughly till the earthblood was gone from her lips, revealing pink skin underneath. She gazed up at him, her pupils black. 'That's an excellent idea.'

'We can continue our _dancing_. . .' she flirted a little too obviously. She was still feeling a little dizzy.

'Oh.' Torak was confused, 'I thought you meant we could mate.'

Renn blushed the colour of her hair at hearing it so bluntly. She playfully smacked his arm. 'Torak. You're not being subtle like a man should. The trees are blushing.'

He looked genuinely sorry as he apologised.

'One of the many reasons people dance, especially young people, is to be attractive to potential mates you know.' She said in her matter-of-fact voice. To demonstrate, she rolled her hips like she was dancing, but instead they grinded into Torak's own. He let out a hiss of pleasure and held her a little tighter. Remembering Renn's body moving earlier made him understand the heat he had felt.

'I can see why.'

'Come on, why are we standing here when we can be in our shelter?'


	5. Fire

This is most definitely an M chapter so be warned!

0o0o0o0

Torak tenderly kissed the pale skin of Renn's exposed throat as she let out a feminine sigh. Their shelter was on the very edge of camp, removed from the party for obvious reasons, and the noises from outside were faint and distant. Nobody was going to disturb them on this sacred night.

The Raven-style shelter was the same as any other with a large bed in the middle and plenty of room around it. Except that the soft fur hides on the bed had been sprinkled with flowers for a couple. Torchlight lit the circular room with a warm glow. It was a humid summer's night. The air was hot and still, still saturated with the heat from the day. A few moths flew to investigate the torches. But they were otherwise alone.

Renn and Torak sat on the bed amongst the petals, lost in each other's touch. The young woman sat on her mate's buckskin-clad lap, her legs straddling his waist. Renn gripped his dark hair as he slowly devoted his attention to her collarbone, tasting her sweet skin as she arched her head back in bliss. His hands cupped her shoulders in a firm grip. Her soft gasps filled the shelter as his head moved lower, slowly exploring her fair skin at his leisure.

They were both completely inexperienced when it came to this, but they seemed to be driven by something instinctual. Kissing and touching was familiar territory, but the sacred part that came after was something they were both excited and apprehensive of.

Renn thought back to a few days previous, when to her embarrassment, an old woman had been called into her shelter to tell her the details of what to expect on her mating night. Since Renn had no relatives who were women, this was her only chance to ask more female questions. She was just glad it hadn't been her uncle who was to tell her, unlike Torak.

'It will hurt the first time,' she had said in a scratchy voice that reminded her of Saeuun. 'But it is meant to, it represents the fire that cleanses and completes the mating rite. This is the fire you will also feel during childbirth – the woman's fire.'

Renn was a little uncomfortable at discussing this with the old woman, but she continued to listen as there were some aspects she was unclear on. The old woman didn't seem to notice her shifting awkwardly on the floor, 'How much does it hurt? Does it hurt the man as well?'

'It is bearable, and it does not last too long. No child. It is the woman's fire. The man feels no pain, only pleasure.'

Renn thought that sounded a bit unfair, but she didn't voice her opinion. She wanted to ask her questions and be done. 'How will you know if you are with child after mating?'

'Not every joining will produce a child, the World Spirit will decide when it is right. If the love is pure and the mates healthy, then you will know after a moon. You may feel sick, tired, out of breath, pain here and here,' she gestured to her breasts and Renn cringed. 'Or you will simply know. With your talent for Magecraft, you will probably sense it before most women.'

'T-Thank you.' Renn's mind was racing. She wanted to be with Torak intimately; just the thought of it sent a nervous thrill down her spine and brought heat to her cheeks. But was she ready for a baby if it came along straight away?

'Anything else?'

'How long does it last for?'

She laughed with a knowing look in her beady eyes, showing her gummy teeth in a grin. 'That all depends on your mate.'

Renn was wrenched back into the present as Torak roughly kicked off his boots and lifted off his shirt, revealing a muscular torso toned from a life of demanding physical activity. He wrapped his strong arms around her as she pressed her hands on his pectoral muscles as she had done many times before, feeling the race of his brave heart beneath. On this night they both knew that the act took on a whole new level of intimacy. She delicately traced the scar from where he had cut out his Soul Eater tattoo, her pale fingers contrasting to his darker skin in the flickering torchlight.

All of a sudden she was overcome by a wave of love for Torak. He had done so much. For her, for the clans, for the Forest. She knew he was still insecure about his position amongst the clans, but she didn't care. She hadn't ever minded that he was different, she would always love him.

Placing her hands either side of his head and smiling fondly at him, she rose a little and placed a delicate kiss on his outcast tattoo on his forehead, and another to his soft lips.

'I love you.' She whispered, leaning back a little to meet his soft gaze. He cupped her cheek with a calloused palm and his eyes looked a little watery as he smiled in response.

'I love you too, my Renn. My mate.' They pressed their foreheads together and sat there for a while, entwined and simply cherishing the moment. It was warm and silent. Torak breathed in her fresh, sweet scent, thanking the World Spirit for granting him such happiness.

After a while, Renn broke the trance by moving her head back. There was only so long she could resist from touching his hot, tawny skin.

She then went back to gliding her hands over Torak's broad shoulders, his flat stomach and his back, truly admiring how much he'd become a man since she'd first met him as a skinny boy. As she did so, he took out the hair pin from the back of his head where his hair had been fastened that morning, and his dark locks flopped back into their usual messy style. He relished in the feel of her small hands on his flesh and watched with fascination as her dark eyes trailed the path her hands were taking. His blood began to warm and his heart pounded as he wondered what it would feel like reversed.

'You've grown a lot since we first met,' she quietly commented as she continued to caress his chest, feeling the strong yet supple muscles beneath with a gentle touch. 'From boy to man.'

Torak gazed at her, admiring the gracefulness of her movements and the tender tone of her smooth voice. He was sure there was no other woman in all the Forest as beautiful as her. One minute she could be hurling an axe, the next she could be as gentle as a doe. 'I can say the same for you. You've become a woman, but you used to look like a stick.'

'Hey!' she batted his shoulder and he chuckled at her reaction. The tenderness in the air changed to nervous excitement as Renn removed her lynx cape and boots, so that she sat in front of him in her pale buckskin dress. She felt emboldened as she saw Torak's mind racing over what was to come.

'Do you think you could help me?' she asked in what she hoped was an innocent voice, gesturing to the cords at the back of her outfit. She turned so that her back faced him.

'Sure,' he stammered a little. His hands brushed aside her long flowery ponytail to reveal the pale skin of her neck. Torak fumbled with the thick thread on the back of her dress. Eventually it was loose enough to remove. He gently slid it down over her shoulders, entranced by the slow reveal of more smooth, creamy skin. Renn shimmied out of it. Now she was simply clad in a thin under dress as she stood next to the bed where he sat.

Torak saw the flickering torchlight shine through the thin fabric, creating a shimmering silhouette of her figure.

Torak had seen her scantily-clad before, but that had been during different circumstances. During the great ice storm he had to strip her of her outer clothing and dress her in his jerkin and parka to keep her from freezing. He hadn't paid much attention to her body; he had been focused on keeping her alive.

But now, she was very much alive and things were very, very different.

Heat flowed over him in surging waves when she slid her hands slowly and deliberately down her sides, starting at the breasts, dipping in at the waist and broadening out at the hips, to emphasise the ample curves of her body. Torak's mouth went dry and he felt a rush of blood to his groin. He knew he was staring.

'What was that about being a stick?' she teased. Crawling slowly onto the bed, she pushed him down onto his back and lay atop of him, so that their bodies merged together. She angled her head, joining their lips together for another passionate kiss. She gasped as she felt Torak's undeniable hardness against her upper thigh. Taking the opportunity, her mate slid his tongue into her mouth to deepen the kiss and Renn moaned as she felt the woman's fire pool in her stomach like hot water.

As another thrill of fire shot through Torak at Renn's noises, he remembered back to a few days earlier when to his horror Fin-Kedinn had given him 'the talk'. He had been down by the river checking some hooks when his foster father had found him. It had been embarrassing but in hindsight Torak was grateful. He hadn't been old enough with Fa to learn the ways, and he had been far too embarrassed to ask anyone since then about how it worked. He had a vague idea from the things he had heard from other boys during his time with the Ravens as well as with Bale, but the details he had been unsure about.

After Fin-Kedinn had gone over the basics, Torak was blushing profusely and refused to look him in the eye. Rummaging about in the river, he listened to his foster-father from where he sat on the bank behind him. He learnt that women had far more sensitive bodies than men, and that it hurt them the first time. Torak asked why this was, but his uncle had just answered cryptically that it was because of 'the woman's fire'.

His hands moved up her bare arms, leaving trails of goosebumps in their wake. Then they slid down her ribs and gripped onto her hips, where her underdress was still covering almost all her skin. He longed to feel her soft white flesh beneath, to see her beauty unfold like a spring flower as she lay beneath him. Another wave of arousal hit him when he realised that Renn was his. A possessive, primitive part of his mind enjoyed this fact. No other male could ever touch her or kiss her, or he would surely kill them.

The slow burn that had been building since their dancing earlier ignited and his blood surged. Kissing each other hungrily, he gripped her flesh beneath his hands and urgently tried to create friction, against his straining manhood. At that moment, Renn broke the kiss and sat up on his lap, her hands splayed across his chest. Her swollen lips were red and her cheeks flushed as she regained her breath. With a gleam in her eye and a sharp toothed grin, she slowly ground her hips into his harness.

Before he could stop it, a deep, rumbling groan escaped his throat as a deep current of pleasure shot down his spine and into his manhood. Still clutching onto her hips, he longed to move her again to recreate the feeling from the friction, but before he could, Renn removed herself from his waist and sat to the side on the bed. In annoyance he was about to ask what she saw doing, but then she placed her hands on the rim of his buckskin leggings and he realised.

'Can I. . .?' she trailed off. Torak swallowed thickly and nodded his head. Slowly, she dragged the leggings down his lean legs, and tossed them on the floor. The hardness she'd felt from before was visible in his loincloth in the form of a bulge. Her heart raced as she met his eyes searchingly as she reached out to untie the final layer. Her mate nodded, looking nervous but certain.

Renn sat back to let her eyes drink him in as he lay sprawled before her in all his masculine glory. He was sizable for his age, and the evidence of his desire for her was very clear. At first she was shocked at the appearance of it, having never seen a grown man's loins before. A flash of doubt crossed her mind as she thought of how it would hurt fitting it inside her, but she quickly scolded herself. If all other women can do it, then she could as well. Her heart hammered in her chest as she reached out and enclosed his heavy length in her palm.

Torak threw his head back, exposing his throat as he groaned in such an unbridled way that it sent a rush of what felt like liquid fire through her veins from head to toe. She moved so that she could meet his lips whilst she held him. He continued to moan into her mouth as she pleasured him, not entirely sure what she was doing, but assuming that he was enjoying it. He felt soft on the surface but underneath he felt hard. A powerful ache had been building inside of her that made her skin feel as if it were on fire. She longed for his touch as she was touching him. She was about to voice this to him when he broke the kiss and sat up a little on his elbows, almost bumping heads.

He was breathless and his cheeks were flushed, she removed her hand from him, thinking she'd done something wrong. 'Sorry, I – '

He shook his head and interrupted her, 'No, it's just. Well.' He blushed even more as he looked at her dress, he didn't want her clothed any longer. She caught on, trembling a little with anticipation. Torak sat up with his knees bent under him. Renn kneeled in front of him, making her a head taller. She placed her hands on his shoulders to steady herself, the heat was making her feel dizzy and her legs felt like water.

Then, she took the hem of her under dress and slowly pulled it up and off, revealing herself to Torak who sat rigid in front of her. Once she was naked, she pulled the clip out from her ponytail and shook her hair free, causing a waterfall of red waves and forest flowers to fall down her back and over her shoulders.

Torak had never seen a naked woman before, but he knew what to expect. During their travels in the past, he had often imagined what Renn would look like with no clothes, especially when she excused herself to bathe, but he would always push the thought away as he was embarrassed his body's reaction would betray him. At that time, he had thought that he was a bad person for thinking of his friend in such a way, and he didn't understand why he would heat up at the thought of her exposed body. He now knew that it was because he had loved her and was strongly attracted to her, even back then.

Renn watched his silver eyes travel over her exposed body with such hungry intensity that it made her tremble. The length of time he simply stared at her made her flush, and she began to feel extremely sef-conscious under his gaze. Resisting the urge to cover herself, she bit her lip. Eventually, he reached out and placed his large, steady hands on her narrow waist, massaging the skin of her toned stomach with his thumbs.

'Renn,' he whispered, looking up to meet her gaze, 'you're perfect. Just like I imagined you'd be.'

She realised that meant he had thought of her naked before, the thought of which made her knees weak. He hadn't even touched her more intimate places and already she felt like she was going to snap.

Torak rose up onto his knees to match her position, and gathered her in his arms as he brought his burning lips to hers in a frantic, messy kiss. She arched her body into his, pressing her soft flesh into his muscles, melding their bodies together in perfect unison. She whimpered into the kiss as she felt his manhood press into her stomach, hard and ready. She dragged her nails down his back, relishing the elicit sounds he emitted into her mouth. He ran his fingers through her soft hair, down her back, past her waist and onto her round bottom, where he gripped her soft skin and pressed her into him as closely as they could go.

Eventually Renn pulled back for air, and Torak suggested she lay down. Renn did so, making herself comfortable as she knew what was coming next. Torak gazed down at his beautiful mate laid before him. Her skin was white and creamy and as soft as petals. Her wavy red hair fanned out behind her head, and Torak was suddenly reminded of the red haired World Spirit. He was sure Renn was more beautiful than her. She watched him with glassy eyes and a dreamy look as he bent to kiss her jaw.

She fisted her hands into his dark hair, gasping softly as he began his agonisingly slow trail of butterfly kisses down her neck, to her collarbone and finally, to her breasts. Torak wasn't sure what to do, but he remembered his uncle's warning about how sensitive women were, so he was very gentle as he caressed and kissed the large, creamy mounds of flesh, he didn't want to hurt her.

Renn felt as if her body were made of lightning as Torak gently swirled his tongue, it was too much and at the same time not enough. She arched her back and whimpered, shaking with need. She felt as if she were on the edge of a mountain.

She somehow managed to gather enough breath to say his name. He immediately stopped and looked up at her, the torchlight danced and shone in the dilated blacks of his eyes. 'I need you, now. Right now.'

'Are you definitely ready?'

She nodded impatiently, letting go of his head so he could sit up a little. He hooked his hands underneath her strong, shapely legs and spread her wide so that his thighs were between hers. All of a sudden he was positioned above her. Renn couldn't believe they had got to this point. She'd waited for this moment for so long, driven herself mad thinking about what it would be like with him, and now the moment was finally here. She almost expected a Soul Eater to run in, grab Torak and escape, just to stop this moment from happening.

She braced herself as he pushed in as far as he could go. He cried out in pleasure as she cried out in pain as a sharp searing sensation burned her womanhood from the inside. Gritting her teeth, she remembered what the old woman had warned about the 'woman's fire' and that it wouldn't last long. Tears stung her eyes as the pain continued. This was all part of the rite, she just had to wait. She'd had far worse than this.

'D-don't move yet.' She said, gripping his shoulders in case he did.

'I won't.' Torak replied, his voice steady despite the blood pounding through him. It felt like every single muscle in his body was taut, straining to hold him back. The urge to move was almost overwhelming, as was the sensation of being inside his mate. He'd never felt anything like it. She was tight and burning hot, as if she was made of fire. He remembered his foster-father talking about the 'woman's fire'. Maybe this was part of it, the heat she'd provoked in him, and the heat she herself was creating. Renn was breathing deeply beneath him, waiting for the pain to ebb. 'Just tell me when you're ready.'

She nodded, and after a little while replied, 'okay, you can go, but, be slow.' Drawing a raggedy breath, he pulled out slowly and then pushed back again in shallow movements to ease her pain. Gradually, the burning feeling left Renn and she began to feel the pleasure. She relaxed her muscles slowly and let instinct take over as the fire in her began to build once again. Before long she was urging him on, wrapping her legs around his waist and digging her nails into his skin as the pleasure built between them quickly.

Torak rested his head in the crook of Renn's shoulder, unable to hold himself up long enough to kiss her. He set up a relentless animalistic rhythm; all regard for being gentle had fled from him. He was driven purely by primal instinct and from the moans of pleasure coming from his mate below him. He gripped the soft flesh of her hips in his hands with bruising force, trying to create as much friction as possible. Grunting with each forceful thrust, he felt himself closer and closer to completion.

All that could be heard in the shelter were Renn's gasps and groans; Torak's panting grunts and the quick sound of skin slapping skin.

The white-hot fire between them soared to the sky as Renn finally fell, clenching and shuddering as the woman's fire raged inside her like a lightning storm. The feel of being inside her quivering body beneath him made Torak follow soon after. With a final, furious onslaught, he expelled the seeds of life into her and promptly collapsed from exhaustion on top of his mate.

The joining ceremony was complete.

0o0o0o0

Oh my goodness! I hope this doesn't get taken down haha. Please review!


	6. Dawn

0o0o0o0

Torak gradually awoke the next morning, feeling perfectly warm and content. He breathed in deeply, filling his lungs with the pleasingly sweet smell of Renn. Fine strands tickled his nose as he realised his face was buried in her hair. He tightened his arms around his mate's waist, who murmured in her sleep, before drifting back to silence.

Torak didn't have to open his eyes to know it was dawn outside, he could hear the distant sounds of activity in the camp, and the early morning bird songs from outside the shelter. A light breeze wafted through the air, bringing sweet, welcoming smells of the forest with it.

He nuzzled his head closer to neck, placing a kiss on her bare shoulder. Soft fur hides covered their bodies, which were still in a state of undress from the night before. Torak flushed as he remembered their activities. He knew that he could mate with her every night for as long as he lived and never bore of it. Even if they had one hundred children it would be worth it.

She stirred in her sleep, flinging her arm out and smacking Torak in the face. He restrained from making a noise as it might wake her, but he rubbed his cheek indignantly. He knew from experience Renn wriggled, kicked and talked in her sleep when in her sleeping sack, but before he had been safely at a distance. Now that they shared sleeping arrangements he might be the victim of her nightly exercises. He placed her flailing limb back down and wrapped his arms around her to keep her still, snuggling back into the warm fur and the sweet smell of her hair.

Renn slowly drifted into consciousness, immediately feeling the warming presence of Torak's body behind hers. With her drowsy eyes still closed, she rolled over so she was facing her mate. He instinctively embraced her and she hummed happily. Taking the opportunity, Renn snuggled closer, tucking her head beneath his chin to rest on his warm bare chest. The rhythmic beat of his heart was as steady as a beating drum, and so comforting that she almost drifted back to sleep, but she wanted to cherish the moment after their first night together, so decided against it, tempting as it was.

'Are you awake?' she whispered.

'Yeah,' he said from above her, his voice gravelly with sleep.

She entwined her legs with his beneath the sheets, absently running her toes up and down his calf, the coarse hair tickling her. 'Your legs feel really hairy.'

He was about to retort about her annoying sleeping habits when she sat up, leaning on her elbow as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes with a yawn. Her skin looked smooth in the soft morning light, and he longed to feel it beneath his hands again. He realised again with a surge of happiness that now they were bonded, he could. Her long red hair was messy and her face was a little puffy, but Torak thought she looked beautiful, if a little sensitive to the morning light as she peered around the shelter.

'You look like a mole that has just seen sunlight for the first time.'

She slapped his arm and took at look at him for the first time that morning. His mussed dark hair was dishevelled and sticking up in odd angles, just as she'd seen it many times in the morning when they were travelling. But in light of what happened the night previous, she knew she took some of the credit for its messy state. Flushing a little at meeting his eyes as she thought this, her eyes travelled down his angular face, to his toned chest and then following the delicate line of hair that formed below his navel, disappearing under the blanket that lay across his hips.

She suddenly became aware of her own state of undress, and brought the fur up to cover her chest. She took a look around the shelter and saw their discarded clothing from the night before. The sounds of the camp sounded close, what if someone came in to check on them? What if it was her uncle?

She glanced at him and saw that he was now leaning on his elbow, with his head supported on his hand, smirking at her. He looked very handsome, and she again thanked the World Spirit that he was here, as her mate, utterly and completely hers.

'I saw it all, there's nothing to hide Renn.'

'What if someone comes in?'

'They won't.'

As if from nowhere, the sound of giggling caught their attention. They looked up to see a small gaggle of children by the entrance, peering around the edge of the hide. No doubt they'd sneaked away from their parents; none of them looked older than five summers.

Renn blushed red, burying herself entirely beneath the covers as Torak waved his arms at them to leave. 'Hey, get out!'

'Wha are you doin?' asked a little girl of possibly four summers as her friends tittered around her, completely unaware of how much embarrassment they were causing.

'I'll tell your mothers that you were here if you don't leave now!'

'Quick!' the sound of giggles turned to excited yelps as they ran away as fast as their little legs could carry them. Torak smiled, looking down at the lump beneath the covers next to him. He wasn't ready yet for children, but if they did have a child, he was certain he would be very happy. Especially as Renn would be their mother.

'Renn?'

'Mm?'

'They're gone, it's safe.'

A suspicious face emerged from the furs, glancing about before she sat up fully. She then sneaked out of the bed and hunted for her clothes on the floor. Torak watched from the bed, in no hurry to get up. She felt her gaze on him as she found her under dress and hurriedly put it on, before searching for her other garments.

'When we're back in the forest, can we do that every night?' Torak spoke from behind her in a whimsical tone.

Renn turned to face him, feeling that hot feeling in her stomach again. She had enjoyed last night every much, though she did feel a slight aching soreness where their bodies had joined.

'Maybe not _every_ single night.'

He looked a little disconcerted, 'did you not enjoy it? We don't have to do it at all if you- '

'No, no it's not that.' She stood up and walked to the edge of the bed, sitting down beside him. She was touched by his reaction. She laughed a little as she explained, 'I'm just, feeling a little um... bruised. But I'll be fine, just maybe not every night.'

Torak's mind flashed back to how he hadn't been exactly tender with her towards the end, and he felt guilty. He had been told to be gentle with women, but he'd let his control slip. 'I'm sorry.'

'Don't be,' she leaned in closer towards him and whispered softly in his ear, 'I enjoyed it at the time.'

Flushing red, he couldn't resist pulling her down for a quick kiss. It took until midday for them to emerge hand in hand from the shelter, walking to the camp with a spring in their step and knowing smiles on their faces.

0o0o0o0


	7. Confession

Renn placed her hands on the small of her back, stretching as the morning light gleamed on the still lake before her. It was late autumn and the trees were ablaze with deep reds, yellows and orange leaves as they sung their final song before the dead winter moons arrived.

The smooth surface of the lake reflected the vivid colours of the trees that rose from its banks on all sides amid a tangle of reeds and dead leaves. Renn made her way to the edge of the water, looking at her reflection below her. She looked the same as she always did: pale, dark eyed and red-haired, with her clan tattoos standing out vividly on her cheeks. She scooped a dock leaf into the water for a drink, watching the ripples disperse around her reflection.

Renn moved back from the edge of the lake and walked stiffly to the shelter, which was situated on the fringe of the forest, twenty paces or so from the lake. A soft rising of smoke from inside told her that her meal was still cooking. A plump duck caught last night was roasting slowly in the embers, filling the spacious shelter with glorious smells of roasting fat.

Renn's muscles tensed uncomfortably as she lowered herself down beside the fire, wishing Torak would hurry and return to her from his hunting trip. He had left a day ago with the promise of being back by dawn with a large meal, but there was still no sign of him and the morning was half gone.

She glanced over to their shared sleeping sack which they'd made for themselves. It was still crumpled from when he'd left yesterday before she awoke. She put her hand to her chest, where her shell necklace hung that Torak had given her about 6 moons ago.

Renn didn't realise how much she could miss someone until she met Torak. Now that they were mates, they spent more time together than ever before and she enjoyed every moment in his company. But when he went off to track larger prey, she stayed to mind the shelter. Sometimes he would be gone for days at a time, and she would often worry that something had happened to him.

As Renn sat worrying about her mate, she heard Rip and Rek causing a commotion from outside. She stood, holding her back as she exited the shelter.

Torak threw the pesky ravens some scraps, watching in amusement as they squabbled over the meat. He adjusted the roebuck on his shoulders and continued towards the shelter, where he could smell the tantalising aroma of roasting duck.

As he approached, Renn appeared. He took in her appearance at that moment, amazed that every time he saw his mate, she seemed to grow in beauty, like a blossoming flower that goes on and on.

Her long red locks floated about her face in the slight wind, framing her high-cheekbones and large dark eyes in a beautiful halo of red. Her small, pale hands rested on her swollen belly, barely contained by her tunic which stretched over her full stomach tightly.  
The soft contours of her body were rounded and feminine, and her breasts had become heavy and laden with milk for the awaited baby. He had never seen her more attractive.

She gave him the signature Renn grin, and Torak could resist her no longer. Matching her grin, he placed the buck on the floor and quickly strode towards her, embracing her tightly and breathing in her fresh, sweet smell. Her large stomach pressed against his, so that Torak was holding both his mate and child.

'It's only been a day and yet I feel like I've been gone for a month. I kept worrying.' He said to her, drawing back a little and placing a large steady hand on her belly. She gazed up lovingly at him and wondered if their baby would have his silver eyes, or his tanned skin, or his wild dark hair.

'What are you thinking about?' he asked as her hands snaked up to rest around his neck.

'What our baby will look like.'

He smiled, placing a delicate kiss on her rosy lips. Torak and Renn had already had many conversations about it whilst sitting beside the fire at night. He thought they would have red hair and silver eyes, but Renn had predicted dark hair and fair skin. 'Again? Have you thought of anything else since we found out?'

Renn thought back fondly to when she had first realised she was with child; it had been barely half a moon after they first mated. As the old woman had predicted, her Magecraft abilities had given her the ability to sense its presence. At first she had thought she was just feeling unusual because of everything new that had happened to her body. But she had also had strange dreams, always featuring a pair ravens together in their nest. It took her a time after to realise the dreams emphasis was not on the ravens together, but on the eggs they were sitting on.

After having the dreams and sensing something unusual, she began to feel the symptoms the old woman had explained to her. After one moon, she had been certain.

At first, Renn had felt frightened and alone. She was still young, coming up to her sixteenth summer, and she was uncertain on whether or not she would be strong enough to survive the ordeal, or mature enough to be a good mother. But she knew from living in a clan all her life that many girls had children at that age, with their mates being of the same age or older.

She had been worried about telling Torak well into her second moon. He would often talk to her about how much he loved their free-spirited life together; he acted childishly and often immaturely. She remembered when they had first become friends, and she found out much to her amusement that he had never even seen a baby before. Renn found herself doubting whether he was ready for the responsibility. She and Torak weren't exactly parenting material just yet.

Renn was also aware that his mother had died in childbirth. She didn't want him worrying about her life or becoming overprotective of evrything she did. She also feared him resenting the child if anything were to happen to her.

These thoughts had plagued her endlessly until she realised that he was going to find out anyway. Renn also knew that he was well aware of this being a consequence of their frequent mating sessions. He knew the risks. She gathered her courage to tell him, quite suddenly, one afternoon out hunting.

Torak was crouching by a juniper bush, examining the way the twigs had snapped. 'A red deer moved through here not long ago, it seems relaxed and its prints show it's moving slowly. It can't have gone far.' He stood up and turned to look at her casually, expecting her to follow him, but she didn't move.

'Torak, I – I'm carrying your child.'

His immediate expression was unreadable. Then he uncomfortably he scratched his neck and averted his eyes. He stumbled over his words, 'I uh, I already know.'

'What?!' she asked incredulously, 'how can you possibly know?'

He shifted his weight from one foot to another, avoiding her intense stare. The red deer had been completely forgotten. 'Well, um, Fin-Kedinn told me some of the signs to expect from you if you were, and well, I noticed you doing a lot of the things he said, so I guessed it.'

'Why didn't you tell me you knew?'

'Why didn't you?'

Renn was silent. She felt angry and relieved and sad and happy all at the same time. This wasn't at all how she had expected their conversation to go.

'How long ago did you realise?' she asked. Their eyes locked, and her anger melted away at seeing him look so open and honest. She knew she was the one in the wrong.

'About a moon ago. You kept throwing up and feeling sick. At first I thought it was from illness, but you were acting strange as well. You cried a lot and you wouldn't tell me why. Then you started eating like a whale.' He shrugged, smiling, 'I eventually figured it out. I knew you would tell me when you were ready.'

'Oh.' Renn suddenly felt foolish for thinking he wouldn't notice. She didn't know her uncle had told him what to expect. 'Torak, I'm sorry I didn't tell you straight away, but, I was unsure whether you were ready to hear it.'

He drew closer to her and held her hands reassuringly. 'Renn, look at me. Do you really think I would mate with you at every possible opportunity if I wasn't prepared for what came after?'

She gave a bashful smile, which quickly turned to a grin. Soon they were both laughing, then they were making up, then they were kissing.

Renn awoke from her fond memory when Torak kissed her forehead. Stepping back, he resumed his task and dragged the dead deer towards the edge of the river to begin skinning it. She rubbed her hands gently on her stomach, watching him work. She wondered what their life would be like once their child was born.

Pondering on names, she hobbled back inside the shelter to prepare their nightmeal, knowing that soon they would have to begin travelling back to the Ravens.


	8. Baby

Torak paced furiously outside the shelter, unable to reign in his innate instincts. His heart was in his mouth, hammering uncontrollably. The urge to run to her side was overwhelming. He could hear her hysterical crying through the hide walls, calling out his name in-between heaving cries of agony. He knew Renn hardly cried, which made it all the worse. All he could do was wait outside in the morning light like an unwanted dog.

Terror pounded through his taut veins at hearing her cries. He knew that some women did not survive birthing. Torak tried to dismiss the tortuous thought from his head, but with every sound she made the thought became entrenched in his mind. His own mother...

A sudden scream erupted from the shelter, he glanced up, wild-eyed. He could hear the women inside trying to calm her. The three muscled men guarding the hut blocked the doorway, allowing him no access. Torak was thinking about taking his chances in overpowering them when a familiar hand came to rest on his shoulder.

'Torak, will you come and help me down by the river?' Fin-Kedinn said from behind him. The young man turned to look at his foster-father. His brilliant blue eyes were as steady as rock, and his hand was firm. Grey flecks in his beard and the hair around his temples showed his age. Torak felt that if he let go, he might collapse from the stress.

He shook his head, gesturing towards the hut. 'I can't leave her.'

'She is in capable hands; she's young and very strong. It will be okay.' The older man's eyes and calm voice showed no hint of worry, but Torak knew he must be just as frightened for her safety as he was. He briefly wondered how many deaths his foster-father had seen in his life through birth. Torak fought the thought down, he would not leave.

'No, I'm not leaving. I have to be sure she's alright.'

Fin-Kedinn was about to reply when Renn screamed Torak's name in such a desperate way that he had to race to the side of the hut to assure her he was there. He shouted through the hide, 'I'm right outside Renn, don't worry! I'm here!'

Her wailing cries continued, broken only by the sounds of encouragement and comfort from the women inside. One of the guards tried to drag him away from the shelter but Fin-Kedinn signalled for him to stop, and instead put his hand firmly on Torak's shoulder again.

'Torak I insist you come with me, you will be able to see Renn when it's over. You need to give her and the other women space so they can work.'

'But...' Torak glanced from his foster-father to the hut.

'Come.' The Raven Clan leader guided him from the shelter and down to the river. Torak went listlessly, not realising how fatigued he was until they reached the water and Fin-Kedinn passed him some salmon cakes. Wolf and Darkfur had gone to hunt, he wished they were here with him.

He could no longer hear Renn over the rushing sounds of the river, but she never left his mind. Torak absently ate, remembering the events last night.

0o0o0

'Renn, you've got to get up!'

'I'll wait until the pain goes...it's probably nothing.' She grimaced from her position on the muddy floor. She was curled up on her side, clutching her hugely swollen belly as waves of cramps came over her. Renn had experienced cramps before during her moon bleed and earlier whilst carrying the child, but not to this badly. Her abdomen felt as if it were being stabbed and torn. The thought of moving was inconceivable. Torak knelt at her side, not knowing what to do. Darkfur, sensing Renn's pain, licked her on the cheek and whined. Wolf watched, waiting for Torak's decision.

They were about half a day's walk to the Raven camp. Since Renn was almost ready to give birth, they'd travelled back to the camp at a comfortable pace as Fin-Kedinn had instructed. There she could have the baby safely with the help of mothers from the clan and elder ladies who had delivered many children. But neither of them had thought she might begin the birth early. They had planned it so they would have a week in camp before the nine moons were up. Torak made up his mind, deciding that they had to get to camp as soon as they could. It would be dangerous for her here if she did go into labour, and he was not going to take that chance.

'I'm going to have to carry you.' Torak insisted, linking his arms beneath her with some difficulty.

'No! Don't move me!'

He ignored her protests and somehow managed to lift her in his arms. She groaned, clutching her stomach and clenching her teeth. Every jolt of Torak's body as he walked sent spasms of white hot pain though her stomach. Fear squeezed her pounding heart – was she really about to go into labour? What if they didn't make it back to camp on time?

Torak walked with his mate in his arms, following Wolf and Darkfur who wound through the trees in front of him, finding the flattest path. His arms soon began to tire, and his back ached from the weight of two passengers, but he kept going.

Eventually, when they were a valley away from the Ravens, he signalled to Wolf.

_Pack-Brother, please bring the lead Tall Tailess who smells of Raven from the big Den. Pack-Sister needs help._

Wolf's amber eyes glowed with understanding, and then he sped into the forest towards the camp. Torak shifted her weight in his arms and waited.

'What's happening?' Renn whispered.

'Wolf's gone to get Fin-Kedinn, we're almost there, hang on.'

She nodded silently into his chest, trying to control her breathing and remain calm. Her cramps had gotten worse, and she was terrified of what was to come. Suddenly, she felt a horrid gush of liquid between her legs, and panic surged through her veins like poison.

'Torak!'

He looked down and realised what was happening, he couldn't disguise the alarm in his voice. 'Don't worry, he'll be here soon, don't worry! Just stay calm and you'll be fine!'

Renn fought back didn't want to admit to him how terrified she was, but the movements in her stomach were so unpredictable. She remembered bits from conversations with the elder women a few moons ago from their last visit, but in her panic everything seemed like it could be bad. The water kept flowing – Was all this meant to happen?

Faster than Torak expected, Wolf returned, wagging his tail as Fin-Kedinn came crashing through the bracken behind him.

His foster-father took one look at Renn and knew why Wolf had been sent to find him. With arms trembling from exhaustion, Torak quickly passed her into Fin-Kedinn's strong arms. Although he was aging, he was still broader and more powerful than Torak, who was still a young man.

Before either of them had exchanged a word, he was off into the forest as fast as he could manage without hurting his niece. Torak stumbled behind with Wolf and Darkfur, praying to the World Spirit that everything would be okay.

0o0o0

A young woman, probably a few years older than Torak, came running down the slope towards the river where the two men sat anxiously. They turned and stood as she stopped before them. She wore an unreadable expression. Torak's blood rushed in his ears.

'The birthing is finished.'

She hadn't even finished her sentence before Torak had bounded off up the slope towards the shelter.


	9. Fa and Ma

Renn sat on the floor tucked snugly into a sleeping sack. She was propped up against a beam with blankets of soft fur around her, and a large pail of fresh water to her side. She felt utterly and completely elated, as well as ravenous, incredibly lightheaded and exhausted, but she wanted to stay awake.

The women had finished helping with the birth, and had cleaned her and the baby up as much as they could. The shelter was empty, but Renn knew that soon Torak and her uncle would be here. She couldn't describe her pride and happiness. She had done it.

She smiled dreamily, looking down at her baby who was suckling contentedly at her teat. She put her finger in the palm of its tiny hand, and it gripped it back. Dark, curious, squinting eyes met her own, and in that moment she knew all that pain had been worth it.

The men guarding the hut moved aside, and morning light flooded into the shelter. In the doorway stood Torak, with Wolf and Darkfur at his side. He looked at her and a slow smile spread across her face. Edging closer to her, he looked down upon his child for the first time in absolute stupefied awe.

'It's a boy,' she said weakly, looking up at her mate. Her body was weak with exhaustion, but she kept her eyes firmly open, wanting to remember every moment of their first meeting. Wolf and Darkfur sat and watched intently, no doubt remembering their first litter of cubs.

Torak sat on the floor to her right, his eyes never leaving his son's. He gingerly brushed his fingers on the crown of the baby's head, feeling its fine dark hair, it was the softest thing he'd ever felt. His skin was pinkish and wrinkly, and his eyes looked swollen like he'd been stung by a bee. He was snugly swaddled in soft reindeer fur to keep him warm. Torak was absolutely fascinated, as he'd never seen such a young baby before. He watched as the newborn slowly moved his tiny hand closer to Renn's breast. He looked so fragile, how on earth could they keep something so delicate safe?

'He's so small.' He breathed.

'He'll grow very fast.' Renn replied quietly, gently easing the baby off her. 'The women said the man needs to hold him for a while so he knows straight away who the father is.'

Torak nodded and nervously took the lightweight newborn in his arms, feeling terrified he'd do something wrong. Awkwardly he cradled him in the same position Renn had used. His son squinted up at him, his toothless mouth agape in a quizzical fashion. Wolf padded over and gave the bundle an inquisitive sniff, before settling down beside his pack-brother.

'Hello, I'm... I'm your Fa.' Torak said in a voice heavy with emotion. Waves of memories of his own Fa washed over him. Torak realised this was how he must have felt looking down at him those many, many summers ago. He understood his father more than ever before as he held his son tightly against his chest. The love for his mate and the need to protect his son was stronger than any feelings he'd ever had.

His throat worked, he wished Fa was here to meet his son, to meet Renn, to meet Wolf and Darkfur and Fin-Kedinn again. He wanted to tell him about everything that had happened since the bear, to see the pride in his eyes and the familiar strong hands on his shoulders. He wished he was here so much that tears began to fall slowly down his tattooed cheeks. Wolf licked his knee and Darkfur came over to them, laying down with her head in her paws.

A soft, pale hand came to rest on his arm. He glanced up and met Renn's deep dark eyes, so similar to his son's. 'I wish Fa was here.' he whispered.

Renn thought of her own Fa, and wished that he too could see her now, and know that everything had turned out well for her. 'Both our Fa's would be proud of us, and of our son.'

Torak nodded, still gazing fixatedly at his child. Renn pulled her sweat soaked jerkin up to cover her breasts, and relaxed into the sleeping sack. Her eyelids felt heavy and her limbs felt like water. Her lower region was still in a lot of pain, but she was so happy she hardly felt it. She could not sleep yet.

Another movement at the door, and Fin-Kedinn was with them. He sat down on Renn's left, taking her hand firmly in his. He looked over to the newborn in Torak's arms and beamed with pride. 'Well done.'

Renn squeezed his old, weathered hand comfortingly. He placed his other hand on her cheek, wiping away a small tear that she'd let slip. Words didn't seem enough to convey the emotions passing between the individuals in the room, so they sat for a while in silence.

Pleasant birdsong from outside filtered through the hide walls, and Renn found herself unable to stay awake any longer. She quickly slipped into a deep, much-needed sleep. Torak passed his son to his foster-father, who looked down on the precious life in wonder.

'What will you call him?' he whispered, as not to wake his niece. Torak smiled, remembering the name he and Renn had picked. He knew his uncle would be honoured.

'Fin-Roen.'

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Hi guys, please drop a review to tell me how you think this is going. I have some more plans for chapters but I've had no feedback so far so I'm a little unsure if anyone is interested in any more chapters at all, let me know if you'd like to read any more


	10. Family

**Thank you for the reviews! I think this will be my final chapter but I wanted just to write one more scene to tie it all up neatly. Thank you for reading and please tell me if you've enjoyed the story so far.**

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Fin-Roen watched the silver sticklebacks dart past his ankles in quick, sharp movements. The late afternoon sky was dark with heavy, wolf grey clouds. The young boy bided his time, ignoring the coldness he felt in his feet, waiting for his chance. Suddenly, he struck out his hands towards an unfortunate fish, as he'd seen herons do. It easily slid through his stubby fingers; he lost his balance and fell with a splash into the shallows of the river.

Torak glanced up at the noise, and seeing his son was unhurt, went back to striking up the fire for the new shelter. His mate was outside, quickly laying down branches and tying spruce boughs together to form a waterproof roof. They could tell a storm was fast approaching, so the shelter was long and low and extra sturdy to withstand the bad weather through the night.

By the time their shelter was ready, the sun had set below the horizon and the wind had picked up. Droplets of cold rain were beginning to fall. Torak called to Fin-Roen, who reluctantly gave up his fishing and traipsed back up the hill towards the shelter, which was nestled at the edge of the forest.

'But I didn't catch one yet!' he complained as his father shut the door behind him. The shelter was small and cosy, just tall enough to allow him to stand. It was basked in warm, honey-coloured light by the crackling fire at its centre. His stomach growled as he spotted several boar legs roasting over it. A small hole in the ceiling sucked up the worst of the smoke, leaving only the delicious smells of cooking meat and the sharp tang of birchwood.

'You can try again tomorrow Fin-Roen, it's going to be very stormy outside so you've got to stay here,' his father said sternly, knowing from experience the power of storms. He moved over to allow him to get to the back of the snug shelter, where his mother, sister and the pile of sleeping sacks were. Torak added further branches to the door, sealing it entirely from the cold air outside.

Roen sat down on his soft padded sleeping sack beside his mother, who was suckling his baby sister in her arms. The gentle crackle of the fire was comforting to him, but the wind outside began to howl like a horrible beast, and he could hear trees crying out as it tried to steal their precious leaves. Rain droplets pattered on the roof and walls with increasing harshness. He snuggled closer to his mother, feeling warmed by her presence and familiar scent.

Torak turned the legs over, letting the fire cook them through. 'So what were you playing down by the river?' he asked Fin-Roen.

'I was seeing if I could catch fish like herons do, when they swipe it really fast,' he answered, his face half buried in his mother's fur jerkin.

Torak smiled. He remembered when he used to pretend to be animals when he was younger, chasing after Fa as if he were a wolf and digging holes as if he were a badger. 'Well luckily you don't have to be a heron to fish. Since you're almost in your sixth summer, I'll teach you soon if you'd like.'

'Will you teach me with a spear?' his eyes lit up. Previously all his father had shown him with fishing was how to use nets, which he hadn't found very exciting. The thought of using a spear like his Fa thrilled him.

'Maybe once you've learnt to shoot,' said Renn, adjusting the baby she was holding. 'You can't fish with a spear unless you can aim, or you'll keep falling in – like you did today.'

Fin-Roen grumbled. He was impatient to be a good hunter like his Fa and Ma, 'But shooting's hard.'

'You'll find it easier as you grow, don't worry,' said Torak, taking the boar meat off the fire. He let them cool for a few moments before passing one to Renn, then to Fin-Roen. He then tossed a chunk out of the roof hole as an offering.

They ate in comfortable silence, listening to the muted rumbles of the violent storm outside. Torak hoped Wolf, Darkfur and their newest litter were tucked up somewhere warm.

After eating, Torak began to carve some bone, whilst Renn wrapped up her daughter in a fluffy fur blanket, ready for sleep. The thunder outside grew louder and angrier. Fin-Roen remembered a summer ago when he and Fa had been caught out in a storm. The sky had transformed into a great dark wounded beast that convulsed and rolled in angry movements, as if it had been injured and left to die. It had clawed the earth with savage splinters of white fire and roared louder than the loudest bear.

He was glad to be safe in the shelter, safe from the angry beast. But he could still hear its terrible crashes and growls. He moved closer to his mother, leaning against her shoulder and feeling her long hair soft beneath his cheek.

'Why doesn't Auri get scared of the angry beast outside?' Fin-Roen asked, watching the chubby, auburn haired baby as she wriggled about happily in his Ma's hands.

'She's too young to be scared yet. You were the same, and me, and your Fa. You have to learn fear through experience.' Renn replied with a smile, wiping a bit of mud from his pale cheek as she did so.

He pondered that for a while, before asking another question. 'Ma, what were you like when you were my age?'

Renn thought back to her early life with her Fa before he died, then after with Saeunn and with her uncle. She had been shy, uncertain of herself and of her abilities. Memories of her own Ma came to her, but she pushed them away. That was in the past.

'I was quite shy, but your great uncle Fin-Kedinn helped me to become strong. That's why we named you after him, so you'll be as kind and steady as he is.' Renn finished wrapping up Auri for the night, and placed her by her side in a small woven basket she had made from reeds.

'When will we be going back to the Ravens?' Roen asked, immediately moving onto his mother's lap now that she wasn't busy. She wrapped her arms around him and drew him close, as if sensing his wariness of the noises from outside. Torak smiled at the scene. Roen buried his face in the crook of her neck, fiddling with the familiar shell necklace she always wore when not hunting.

'When summer is here,' replied Torak, knowing how much Roen missed playing with the children in the camp. 'We can go with Wolf and Darkfur and the cubs when they're big enough, and we'll stay as long as you want.'

'How long is it until summer?' he asked. Torak rolled his eyes with a smile at his son's endless questioning. 'A few more moons at least.'

'But that's ages!'

'It'll come sooner than you think,' his Ma said, placing a gentle hand on his head and stroking his soft dark hair. 'Especially if you sleep right now.'

Roen knew this was a trick to make him go to bed, but the sounds from outside were scaring him, though he would never admit this. His Fa didn't look scared at all. He watched as his father's face was illuminated by the firelight, he appeared calm and steady as he carved something in his hands. Roen tried to peer at what he was making, but the embers blocked out the view.

'Fa, what are you carving?'

'A raven amulet.'

'Like mine? Is it for Ma?'

Torak shook his head. 'It's a gift for Auri, she will be one summer old soon.'

Fin-Roen remembered the raven amulet he had owned since he was small, he thought it was somewhere in his pack, though he might have lost it. He was good at losing things.

Since his mother was a Raven, he and Auri were also Ravens, though he wasn't entirely sure why they didn't live with the rest of the clan all the time. He liked the children at camp and great uncle Fin-Kedinn, and all the dogs and the food and the music and the people.

He wondered if, when he was older and got his tattoos, he could persuade his parents to stay with the clan and bring the wolves with them. Auri would surely agree with him once she grew.

The great dark beast outside gave a thundering roar, and Roen was jerked out of his thoughts with a start. Rain hammered on the shelter, and he heard its terrible claws slicing the earth. The wind shook the walls of the hut. His heart sped up a little at imagining the wind lifting the shelter straight off the ground, taking his family with it, up into the dark fiery mouth of the beast.

Renn felt Fin-Roen's heart racing, and soothed him by hugging him tighter and planting a kiss on the crown of his combination of warmth, filling food and his mother's steady heartbeat soon had Fin-Roen's eyelids drooping. The sounds of the storm seemed far away as he drifted to sleep, warm and safe with his family.

'Is he asleep?' Renn whispered to her mate after some time. He peered at the boy and gave a nod. She carefully eased him down onto his sleeping mat, having to half wake him so that he could get inside it. Tucking him up, she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek and he murmured in his sleep.

Renn still couldn't believe she had two children. She gazed down at her son. Other than his freckles and eyes, which were almost black, he had more of the appearance of Torak than of her. His dark, shoulder length brown waves were soft and messy as Torak's, who always looked as if he'd just been hit by a strong gust of wind. He had the same lean build and speed. His skin was a few shades lighter than Torak's honey copper tan, but he was not as bone white as her.

She took a look at Auri, wrapped up in her reed basket. She looked similar to Fin-Roen when he was about a summer old, the only differences being her fine auburn hair and lighter skin tone.

She placed another kiss on Auri's cheek, before moving to sit closer to her mate. She was sleepy and mellow as she rested her head against Torak's broad shoulders. Renn stared at the veins in his hands and the feeling of the muscles as they moved under his skin in rhythm as he skilfully carved the raven amulet.

'How did we get such beautiful children Torak?'

'You take full credit for that.'

'Don't be silly,' she placed a small kiss on the bare skin of his shoulder and snuggled closer, wrapping her hands around his arm. 'You're beautiful to me.'

It may have been the warmth from the fire, but Renn could have sworn she saw a slight red tinge appear on his cheeks. He stopped carving and looked down at her upturned face. Her playful eyes shone in the firelight like glowing embers, and for a moment he found it hard to look away. He moved his gaze down and placed a tender kiss on her right cheek, feeling her smile as he did so.

'We should go to sleep.' She said, giving his cheek a kiss in return. 'They'll be up before dawn wanting to see Wolf and his family like yesterday.'

Torak smiled, remembering how ecstatic Fin-Roen and Auri had been when meeting the cubs on their first trip out of the den. He put his things away and went to lie beside Renn on his sleeping sack, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. Her breathing evened out, and soon she was asleep.

Lying awake in the shelter, listening to his family's light snores and the crackle of the fire, he thanked the World Spirit for so many blessings. Two healthy children and the love of his life; and nearby his pack-brother with his mate and cubs – it was more than he could have ever wished for.

He remembered Fa's words about wolves and reflected on his duty to his family, "_They have a fierce love for their mates and cubs. And each wolf works hard for the good of the pack."_

As he breathed in the sweet smell of Renn's hair, heard Fin-Roen snore and saw baby Auri wriggle in her sleep, he knew he would do anything for them. With these thoughts, he drifted into a pleasant sleep, which he was rudely awoken from before the sun was even up.

'C'mon Fa, let's go and see Wolf!'


End file.
